Jakarta – Incentives should be given to businesses to improve their productivity and increase their taxable incomes, an economist says.

Benget Simbolon Tnb., Jakarta – The government made a big push in 2006 to lure new foreign investors to Indonesia, but a number of urgent problems continue to keep investors away.

Hendarsyah Tarmizi, Jakarta – If the government's macroeconomic targets are used as the yardsticks to assess the country's economic performance this year, the results would be fairly go

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – With a number of sectors having contracted in 2006, the country's industrial sector is set to grow by a less-than-expected 5 percent this year, almost 1 percent

Jakarta – In another move to tighten the screws on those involved in white-collar corruption, the country's capital market watchdog, Bapepam-LK, threatened Tuesday to freeze all the dir

Jakarta – The country has lost over Rp 219 billion (some US$24.3 million) in potential tax revenue annually because of counterfeiting, research by the Institute for Economics and Social

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – Dubbed one of the most influential business gurus, Michael E.

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – Despite efforts to improve legal certainty under President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's administration, investor trust in the Indonesian legal system remains low.

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Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – As long as Indonesia is unable to fix its corrupt bureaucratic and legal system, the country will find it difficult to attract foreign investment from the US or

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Indonesia's economy appears to be on track again, growing by 5.52 percent in the third quarter ended Sept.

Jakarta – Local and foreign analysts are upbeat that Indonesia will be able to meet its economic growth target of 6.3 percent next year despite an expected slowdown in world trade.

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Benget Simbolon Tnb., Jakarta – Transportation Minister Hatta Rajasa assured investors Wednesday that private firms – both local and foreign – would still be allowed to own up to 100 pe

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Two key economics ministers have given assurances that Indonesia is committed to addressing the concerns of investors hoping to participate in infrastructural de

Victor Tjahjadi, Jakarta – Indonesia has sought to reassure investors attending a key infrastructure summit that the government is fighting hard to end corruption and slash red tape in

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The House of Representatives approved the 2007 budget Tuesday, with the government envisaging a wider deficit of Rp 40.5 trillion (US$4.3 billion) to help accele

Benget Simbolon Tnb., Jakarta – Despite fairly free elections at a regional level, democracy in Indonesia is still at the procedural stage, promoting the "practices of a shadow state an

Canberra – East Timor's parliament will next month consider ratifying a revenue sharing treaty with Australia covering Timor Sea energy resources that would remove one of the stumbling

Victor Tjahjadi, Jakarta – Indonesia has terminated a contract with ExxonMobil Corp to drill a major offshore gas field in the Natuna Sea off the west coast of Borneo, in a move that ma

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Within a week, Indonesia will finish repaying all its debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), ending an eight-year, up-and-down relationship with the glo

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – High global demand for non-oil and gas commodities, including crude palm oil, coal and rubber, has once again helped the country's total exports reach a record g

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla is under fire for his statement that democracy is less important than political stability and security in attracting foreign inv

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Jakarta – Indonesia's attractiveness as an investment destination is slipping compared with its more competitive regional rivals, according to a report released Wednesday by the World B

Andi Haswidi, Jakarta – The estimated drop in global economic growth within the next two years could pose serious setbacks to developing countries like Indonesia if governments failed t

Benget Simbolon Tnb., Jakarta – State-owned oil and gas company Pertamina has begun to feel the pinch of increasingly steeper competition in the oil and gas sector following the issuanc

Jakarta – The workers union of city-owned water operator PDAM Jaya has urged the Jakarta administration to review the sales of shares in its foreign partners, saying it was concerned th

Jakarta – After 44 four years of operation, state-owned television company TVRI has become a public television network, funded by the government but intended to be editorially independe

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The central government believes excesses in the implementation of regional autonomy are scaring away foreign investment.

Mark Dodd – East Timor will double its spending on police and defence this financial year, under a national budget worth $US451.9 million ($601 million).

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Foreign investment still appears to be in the doldrums, with the second half of the year starting off to a 24 percent decline in direct foreign investment compar

Politicians may consider President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's state budget proposal for 2007 a boring document, devoid of bold fiscal measures and without any frills at all.

Jerry Norton, Dili – An agreement critical to advancing development of the Timor Sea's biggest gas resource could go to East Timor's parliament in September or October, and would likely

Marlina MS, Jakarta – The government is targeting state revenue of privatization activities to reach Rp3 trillion by next year.

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – A rosier economic picture is expected to emerge in the second half of the year, with increased growth forecast after a recent easing of inflation and interest ra

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's tobacco market, the world's fifth-largest, is primed for foreign takeovers.

East Timor's parliament has passed the 2006-7 fiscal year budget, the young nation's largest ever at 315 million dollars, after a delay caused by violence and political upheaval in May.

Jephraim P Gundzik – Indonesian government officials and foreign analysts are excessively optimistic about the country's medium-term economic outlook.

Officials and city councillors were angered by the sale of 49 percent of water company PT Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja)'s shares.

Jakarta – If Indonesia's economy was a jumbo jet, it would be flying on the single engine of exports at the moment, with the other engines of private consumption, investment and governm

Indonesia may be able to press ahead this year with its plan to fully repay its remaining debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – a year earlier than scheduled – on the back of

Jakarta – The business community is unimpressed with the newly launched financial policy package and doubts the seriousness of the authorities in implementing the contents of the policy

RR Ariyani, Jakarta – Entrepreneur groups consider that improvement to infrastructures is far more interesting to investors than the granting of fiscal incentives.

Jakarta – The government and Bank Indonesia (BI) have signed a joint decree to improve coordination between fiscal and monetary authorities and help reform financial markets.

Jakarta/Batam – The government plans to relax the implementation of the labor legislation in the newly declared special economic zones (SEZs) on three major islands in Riau Island provi

Jakarta – The cost of illegal imports in lost revenue to the government almost doubled last year, with Industry Minister Fahmi Idris warning Friday the practice had reached a critical l

Rendi Akhmad Witular, Jakarta – The government will provide subsidies for farmers engaged in planting palm oil, cacao, rubber and corn in an effort to boost the country's plantation out

Jakarta – Unscrupulous officials who fast-track developments without concern for planning laws are favoring big developers over common Indonesians and are choking the productivity of ci

Agus Supritanto, Manado – The productivity of the Indonesian agriculture sector has declined.